Self-locking calendar support



United States Patent John H. Vernon Des Moines,1owa 772,115

Oct. 31, 1968 Oct. 27, 1970 The Vernon Company [72] Inventor [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54] SELF-LOCKING CALENDAR SUPPORT 7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 211/50, 220/31 [51] Int. Cl A47g 29/00 Field ol'Search 211/50, 11,

42; (Des.), 44124.1; 206/57(last UX & last original): 229/(1nquired): 312/50; 16/128(B). l50;220/3l(SR1as1 3 U.S.);40/23X, 11 last orig& last X Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Exam iner-Abraham Frankel Att0rneySchellin and Hoffman ABSTRACT: A plastic, integrally formed support comprising a base plate with a pair of spaced walls disposed at opposite sides thereof and joined thereto by a thin hinge. A plurality of lugs are spaced about the base, and a like plurality of recesses are formed adjacent thereto. The lugs exert a camming action upon the walls and momentarily deform same as the walls are pivoted toward an erected, vertical position. The resiliency of the walls causes their return to unstressed condition and snap locks them into upright position within the recesses in the base plate. Support is U-shaped in vertical cross section in erected condition.

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 3,536,202

66 To INVENTOR JOHN H. VERNON BY MQ W ATTORNEYS SELF-LOCKING CALENDAR SUPPORT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The instant invention relates generally to supports for calendars, pads, napkins, mail and the like, and novel methods of fabricating and erecting same.

2. Description of the Prior Art Known calendar supports have been fabricated and assembled in shapes and sizes too diverse to enumerate. However, all of these supports have suffered from one or more of the following defects.

The widely used paperboard calendar supports are suscepti ble of being easily sheared or mutilated along their fold lines. Additionally, in order to assemble these supports into a rigid unit capable of supporting the weight of a calendar pad, one must carefully insert, and subsequently bend, paper tabs of unique shapes into appropriate slots in the base member. The misalignment or shearing of any one of these numerous interlocking paper tabs destroys the structural rigidity of the support. US. Pat. No. 594,591, granted to M. F. Berry, and US. Pat. No. 2,755,582, granted to G. E. Nichols are illustrative of this variety of paperboard supports.

One proposed solution for increasing the structural rigidity of the calendar support has been to fabricate such members from light weight metal; for example, note US. Pat. No. 1,835,033, granted to H. L. Fischer. However, such materials substantially raise production costs and the resultant structure cannot readily be folded flat for easy storage and/or shipment through the mails. Thus, the higher costs of such supports severely limit their value as an advertising medium.

SUMMARY Thus, with the deficiencies of the known supports enumerated above in mind, the instant invention contemplates an inexpensive, integrally molded plastic support that can be shipped in a flattened condition and can be easily erected into a rigid structure. The instant support is characterized by the provision of a plurality of lugs and recesses on its base plate; the lugs exert a camming action on the flexible walls and cause same to momentarily deform. The inherent resiliency of the walls causes them to return to their unstressed condition and snap into locking position within the recesses.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent in light of the following description of the invention when construed in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings.

DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the calendar support in fully erected position;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a detail of the support, such view being taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the locking member of FIG. 4, such view being taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and in the direction indicated;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the locking mechanism of. FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of an alternative embodiment of the calendar support; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section taken through a portion of the alternative embodiment of the calendar support, such view being taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7 and in the direction indicated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in greater detail to the drawings FIG. I depicts a calendar support executed in highly polished polyethylene plastic in accordance with the instant invention. Such support comprises a planar base plate indicated generally by reference numeral 10, a front wall indicated generally by reference numeral 12 and a rear wall indicated generally by reference numeral 14. I

For purposes of discussion, base plate 10 is divided into a central rectangular portion 16 with end sections 18 and 20 disposed at opposite sides thereof. Central portion 16 extends forwardly and rearwardly of the end sections. A series of lugs 22, 24, 26 and 28 are spaced about the periphery of portion 16 in a regular pattern.

Front wall 12 comprises a pair of spaced vertically extending end posts 30, 32 joined together by a horizontally extending span 34. Flexible ribs 36 and 38 are located a short distance interiorly of the end posts. The ribs are joined together by a second, shorter horizontal span 40 extending parallel to span 34. A series of vertical spokes 42, 44 and 46 complete the front wall and divide the wall into a lattice like configuration.

Rear wall 14 is generally similar in configuration and includes end posts 48, 50 joined together by a span 52. Flexible ribs 54 and 56 are located a short distance interiorly of the end posts. The ribs are joined together by a second shorter horizontal span 58, and a series of vertical spokes 60, 62 and 64 complete the rear wall and divide the wall into a lattice-like configuration.

Whereas FIG. 1 shows the calendar folded flat for shipping purposes, FIG. 2 shows rear wall 14 in its erected position. To erect the real wall, such member is simply pivoted about hinge 66 which connects the rear wall to base plate 12. Hinge 66,

which is best seen in FIGS. 4--6, is integrally formed between the central section 16 of base plate 10 and rear wall 14. A similar hinge (not shown) is integrally formed between the opposite side of the central section of the base plate and front wall 12. The directional arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the direction of the two steps of pivotal movement for erecting the calendar support.

FIG. 3 shows the calendar, in full scale, in its erected condition. Front wall 12 further includes a strip of pressure sensitive adhesive material 68 to which a calendar pad or the like can be easily affixed. Such strip extends horizontally along the major portion of span 34.

The unique self-locking feature of the instant calendar support is also best seen in FIGS. 46. Such enlarged, detailed views show lug 22 and its structural and functional relationship to flexible rib 56 of rear wall 14. Lugs 24, 26 and 28 coact with flexible ribs 54, 38 and 36, respectively, in a similar manner, and accordingly, for purposes of clarity and conciseness, only the coaction between lug 22 and rib 56 is described hereinafter. FIGS. 4 and Sdepict these relationships prior to the erection of rear wall 14, while FIG. 6 shows rear wall 14 in fully erected condition.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the outline of lug 22 formed on the portion of central rectangular section extending rearwardly beyond end section 18 is clearly visible. Surface 22a gradually slopes away from the base plate, while the opposite side 22b of the lug returns at a right angle into the base plate. As will become apparent from the following discussion, the pivotal movement of the front and rear walls causes the flexible ribs to ride along the sloping surfaces of the lugs and momentarily deform same outwardly; the ribs then return to their normal unstressed condition when they ride along the opposite surfaces, such as 22b.

The recess 70 situated between surface 22b of lug 22 and end section 18 is also visible in FIGS. 46. Such recess is dimensioned so as to accommodate therein the thickness of rib 56 when rear wall 14 is pivoted about hinge 66 into its vertical, erected condition. Similar recesses (not shown) are formed in central section 16 adjacent lugs 24, 26, and 28 to accommodate therein ribs 54,38 and 36, respectively.

illustrative in nature and not in a limiting sense.

FIGJS showsthe same relationships in atop plan view. v particular significancefis notch 72 removed from theupper.

' left corner of rib 56 of rear wall l4. Notch 72 enables rib,56 to be pivoted into a vertical erected position without binding between rib 56 and lug.22.cThe dimensionsfofthese members are selected so that rib 56is c ammed slightly outwardly. as'it elasticallyto its unstressed condition," thus snap locks'the rib f within recess 70 at right angles to the base plate The s'ame' process occurs at the three remaining corners of the base' a member for each rib has a similar notch removed therefrom.

The thin hinge 66 is indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 5,1and

such hinges possess sufficient strength for the support to beassembledand disassembled numerous times without encou'n-.

. teringstructuralfailure. t l t 1 While FIGS. 4 and 5 show: rear wall 14 in its flattened condi tion suitable for mailing or storage purposes, F IG. 6' shows the rear wallin its fully erected condition. Thus, hinge66' is bent over and rib 56 is firmly locked withinrecess 70. Y

7 starts to ride along the surface 22a of lug 22. Asthe pivotal movement continues,'rib 56reaches surface 22b and returns FIG. 7 depicts an alternative embodiment of the instant support. Thedisti'ngui'shing .feature" of this embodimentis the provisioniof a placard orsilhou ettefld that is secured to the edge of the upper span'52of rear wall 14. Placard 74 maycontain advertising material or it may present pictorial representations that enhance the visual impression of the support.

1. .5 plastic self-locking the like comprising; 1 t

a. a'substantially planar baseplateiq Y I plate," said plate and said walls resting in the same horizontal plane prior to erection of the support;

c. each of said walls including a pair of spaced vertically extending end posts joined by a first horizontally extending span;

upright-position .bytheir inherent resiliency afterbeing pivoted along said hinge means past said lug means; and

h. said walls and said base plate defining a substantially U- shaped support whenlviewed in vertical cross section. 2. A plastic support as defined in claim 1 wherein said base plate comprises an enlarged central rectangular portion with a pair of end sections located at opposite ends of said central portion, and said lugmeans are located on said central portion in proximity to said end section. I

The configuration of placard 74 is bestseen in FIG. 8.ln; such view the manner in which the silhouette is secured to the i lip of span52 of rear wall 14 is readily apparent. Furthermore, the spacing from the rearwall 14 to the front wall 16 is in- 3. A plasticsupport as defined in claim 2 wherein said cen- I tral rectangular portion of said base plate has a plurality of recesses formed therein, each of said reccsses being located between one of said end sections and said lug means so as to receive one of said ribs therein.

dicated by brackets extending therebetween. .Frontwall 12 has a strip of pressure sensitive adhesive 76 secured thereon anda calendar pad 78 is secured thereto.

' Although the instantinvention has been set forth holder for mail, napkins or stationery. 'Manifestly, its low cost,

ease of assembly, and attractive appearance enable the instant convention to be used in numerous other environments.

Accordingly, since numerous additional modifications i of as a support for a calendar pad, it would, beequally applicablev as. a

a base plate. 40'

the-invention may be made without departing from'the scope I thereof. it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted a lclaim:

4. Aplastic support as defined inclaim 1 wherein each of said-wallshas a'minor segment removedcthercfrom at points adjacent to said lug means, whereby clearance is provided between each of said walls and said lug means.

5. 'A plasticsupport as defined in claim 1 wherein said lug means comprises a firstsurface sloping away from said base platefand a second surface returning at right angles to said 6.=A plastic supportas defined in claim 1 wherein said pair of ribs are joinedtogether by a second shorter horizontal span. 7. A plastic support as defined in claim 6 wherein a series of vertical spokes extend between said first and second horizontal spans and divide the wall into a lattice-like configuration.

support for calendars; napkins or b. a pairof flexible wallsinte'grally.formed with said base V d. each of said walls further includinga pair of spa'cedverti 

